Easy loading toy projectile launcher

Abstract

A toy projectile launcher capable of launching a substantially large number of projectiles, for example, toy foam darts. To increase the number of projectiles that can be launched between reloadings, the projectiles are housed in a hopper. The hopper may include a movable rear wall which facilitates the loading of a large number of projectiles into the hopper at one time. A portion of a side wall of the hopper may be agitated to loosen the projectiles within the hopper so that they will drop into a firing chamber of the launcher more easily. A cover for the hopper may have a collapsible ceiling to prevent the projectiles from becoming improperly oriented in the hopper as they are being loosened by the agitated portion of the side wall of the hopper. A rotating track and a push rod may cooperate to advance projectiles from a firing chamber of the launcher.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A toy projectile launcher, comprising:
 a housing defining an elongated interior recess; and 
 a hopper coupled to the elongated interior recess, the hopper configured to house one or more projectiles and to provide the one or more projectiles to the elongated interior recess from a bottom of the hopper so that they can be launched from the housing, wherein the hopper comprises:
 a wall located to one side of the elongated interior recess when the elongated interior recess is viewed along its length in a direction of projectile launch, wherein the wall extends upwardly relative to the bottom of the hopper; and 
 an agitating member rotatably coupled to the wall and configured to loosen the one or more projectiles within the hopper, and 
 
 a wheel having a finger extending therefrom, wherein the agitating member is agitated by intermittent contact between the finger and the agitating member. 
 
     
     
       2. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 1 , wherein the agitating member comprises an opening. 
     
     
       3. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 2 , wherein the wheel protrudes through the opening in the agitating member. 
     
     
       4. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 3 , wherein the agitating member is agitated as a result of contact between the finger and an edge of the opening in the agitating member. 
     
     
       5. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 1 , wherein the agitating member slopes downwardly from the wall to the housing to guide the one or more projectiles into the housing. 
     
     
       6. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the interior recess of the housing includes a firing chamber; and 
 the agitating member guides the one or more projectiles into the firing chamber. 
 
     
     
       7. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 6 , wherein the firing chamber comprises a rotating track to advance the one or more projectiles from the firing chamber. 
     
     
       8. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more projectiles are provided to the interior recess of the housing one at a time. 
     
     
       9. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 1 , wherein the agitating member is coupled to the wall by a hinge. 
     
     
       10. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more projectiles comprise toy foam darts. 
     
     
       11. A toy projectile launcher, comprising:
 a housing defining an elongated interior recess; 
 a hopper coupled to the elongated interior recess, the hopper configured to house one or more projectiles and to provide the one or more projectiles to the housing directly from a bottom of the hopper so that they can be launched from the housing, wherein the hopper comprises:
 a wall located to one side of the elongated interior recess when the elongated interior recess is viewed along its length in a direction of projectile launch, wherein the wall extends upwardly relative to the bottom of the hopper; and 
 an agitating member rotatably coupled to the wall and configured to loosen the one or more projectiles within the hopper, 
 
 a wheel having a finger extending therefrom, wherein the agitating member is agitated by intermittent contact between the finger and the agitating member; 
 a cover having an underside which faces into the hopper; and 
 a ceiling collapsibly attached to the underside of the cover. 
 
     
     
       12. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 11 , wherein the ceiling comprises a plurality of nested members attached to the underside of the cover. 
     
     
       13. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of nested members expands into the hopper when the cover is closed. 
     
     
       14. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 13 , wherein the ceiling rests on top of the one or more projectiles housed in the hopper. 
     
     
       15. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 11 , wherein the ceiling comprises a spring attached to the underside of the cover. 
     
     
       16. A toy projectile launcher, comprising:
 a housing defining an elongated interior recess; and 
 a hopper coupled to the elongated interior recess, the hopper configured to house one or more projectiles and to provide the one or more projectiles to the housing from a bottom of the hopper so that they can be launched from the housing; 
 wherein the hopper comprises;
 a first wall located to one side of the elongated interior recess when the elongated interior recess is viewed along its length in a direction of projectile launch, the wall extending upwardly relative to the bottom of the hopper; 
 an agitating member rotatably coupled to the first wall and configured to loosen the one or more projectiles within the hopper; 
 a wheel having a finger extending therefrom, wherein the agitating member is agitated by intermittent contact between the finger and the agitating member; and 
 a second wall that is rotatably coupled to the housing and is movable to a degree that accommodates entry of a partially closed fist of a user into the hopper to facilitate loading of the one or more projectiles into the hopper. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 16 , wherein the second wall is rotatable about the housing for a predetermined distance. 
     
     
       18. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 16 , wherein the second wall comprises a rear wall of the hopper. 
     
     
       19. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 18 , further comprising a cover for the hopper that is rotatably coupled to the rear wall. 
     
     
       20. A toy projectile launcher, comprising:
 a housing; 
 a firing chamber disposed within the housing and configured to receive a projectile; 
 a rotating track defining a bottom of the firing chamber, the rotating track receiving the projectile thereon; 
 a launching mechanism disposed forward of the rotating track for launching the projectile; and 
 a push rod; 
 wherein the push rod and the rotating track cooperate to advance the projectile from the firing chamber to the launching mechanism. 
 
     
     
       21. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 20 , wherein the push rod pushes the projectile as the projectile is being advanced from the firing chamber by the rotating track. 
     
     
       22. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 21 , wherein a tip of the push rod extends into the firing chamber. 
     
     
       23. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 22 , wherein a tip of the push rod extends halfway into the firing chamber. 
     
     
       24. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 20 , wherein the push rod comprises a reciprocating push rod. 
     
     
       25. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 24 , wherein the push rod reciprocates toward and away from the firing chamber. 
     
     
       26. The toy projectile launcher of  claim 20 , wherein the firing chamber is configured to receive one projectile at a time.